Lumen

Capital of Elyria

Population: 250,000 people

Ruler: Divine Matriarch Mercy V

Known For: Holy City of the Faith of the Sacred Flame

The shining metropolis of Lumen stands like a beacon in the night. Travelers from miles away can see the glimmering light of Lumen like a flaming beacon on the horizon. The glow ignites the faith in the hearts of travelers. The central cathedral of Saint Tarna stands above the smaller chapels and shrines which spring from amongst the tightly-packed streets. Incense and woodsmoke waft through the stone streets while the constant melody of hymns and chanting echoes throughout the city.

Lumen is the capital of Elyria, and the holy city for the Faith of the Sacred Flame. Drinking deep from the waters of the Vita Riv er, the teeming city is one of the largest cities on the continent. All throughout the bustling streets of sandstone buildings the smell of incense and woodsmoke drifts through the air. Chants, hymns, and bells fill the city at all hours of the day and night as throngs of devoted worshipers of the Sacred Flame fill the countless chapels and cathedrals, carrying out acts of prayer and worship. The sacred chapel fires remain alight continuously and every street is generously illuminated by lampposts. The city glows like a beacon in the darkness.

The people of Lumen have grown accustomed to the brightness, and many work from dusk to dawn. There are many superstitions surrounding putting out the lights in Lumen; every room of every building is constantly lit through the night.

As the holy city for the Faith of the Sacred Flame, Lumen is the greatest destination for pilgrimage in the known world. Many devout worshipers of the Sacred Flame plan on making at least one journey to the holy city during their lifetimes. As a result, the city is bursting with foreign travelers from around the globe, all united by their faith in the light. There are countless inns and hostels in the city, catering to pilgrims both princely and penniless. Saint Tarna’s Cathedral. Lumen has countless chapels to the Sacred Flame, but all are dwarfed by the majesty and splen dor of

Saint Tarna’s Cathedral. The massive spired golden dome rises on a high bluff over the city, and features an immaculate dec orated facade with marble statuary. Inside, it is painted floor-to ceiling with frescoes and tall arch windows set with stained glass murals depicting Tarna’s life and deeds. Thousands of worshipers can gather in the colossal building, all standing around the great altar whereupon is set a tremendous everburning bonfire. The impressive catacombs and reliquary house many of the great relics of Saint Tarna herself, though not a single one of her bones.

Matriarchal Palace. Off the same plaza as Saint Tarna’s Cathedral is a sprawling monastery complex where hundreds of Flamekeepers, acolytes, and other clergy dwell and carry out the administrative work of the Faith. The most important resident is the Divine Matriarch herself, so powerful wards protect the palace and an elite detachment of Silver Order paladins patrol the grounds.

Violet Embassy. This small manor near the Matriarchal Palace is one of the few strongholds of the Amethyst Academy. Officially, the property is leased to the Academy by the Faith. Here, a few liaisons from the Amethyst Academy Directorate are posted to confer with Elyrian diplomats and provide arcane magical services. Both the Directorate and the Divine Matriarch protect themselves with such potent magical wards that it often impairs their ability to contact one another via magic. While the mages here think their role quite important, the truth is the opposite. The Directorate and the Divine Matriarch try to avoid talking to each other unless absolutely necessary.

Dungeons of Nox. The lasting legacy of the sorcerer-kings runs deep into the earth. Once, Lumen was known by another name: Nox, City of Night, the ancient capital of the Arcane Empire. Indeed, the Matriarchal Palace is built upon the foundations of the grand palace of Sorcerer-Queen Nahmar, and Saint Tarna’s Cathedral stands atop the place where the Spire of Nox once stood. Beneath the catacombs and sewers of Lumen, the holy city is built upon the dungeon of the sorcerer-kings. All manner of blasphemous chambers filled with dark magics remain buried within to this day, for the sorcerer-kings had many secrets. From time to time, one of these forgotten tombs bursts open, allowing a horror from a bygone age to creep up into the streets of Lumen. This is why the streets are always lit: to give such monsters no place to hide. Even the smallest shadow, a tiny blot of inky darkness is enough place for such demons to dwell.